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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index.
Published Every Thursday, Cor. Ivy St.
and Edgewood Ave.
J. C. McMICHAEI, Propkiktor.
Organ of the Baptist Denomination in
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He who forgets old sins, forgets his
new sins also. Sear your conscience
for the past, and you have therein seared
it for the present and the future. The
new sins are greater than the old, by
reason of long continuance, and succes
sive lapses of right principle, and the
kindling of passion to intenser llaine,
and the stronger force of an evil will
that never thinks now of turning. And
yet, we forget the old sins less easily
than we forget the new. When shall
this ruinous process end, by which in
proportion as sins grow worse, we feel
their sinfulness, and bear it, less? Does
not every day increase the probabilities
that it should go on to the last, and
therefore go on everlastingly?
Once, you were a Christian worker.
There were harvests to reap, and you
were among the reapers. But brethren
opposed you, affronted you, injured
you, and you ceased from labor. O why?
bhould you for their fault, punish your
self with interrupted activites, and a
marred experience, and a usefulness
shattered and shorn? Should you pun
ish your Lord's cause, which, while it is
yours by all the sacredness of personal
covenant, is yet his by the higher prec
iousness and pricelessness of purchase
with his blood, his heart’s-blood, his
life-blood? Should you punish your
Lord, not stirring a finger lest there
should be stolen away from him the
very least fiction of fruitage from that
“travail of his soul” which alone can
“satisfy” him for all the agony he bore
in behalf of sinners? Surely, this ap
pears worse than simply putting the
hand to the plough and looking back;
it appears like letting the plough go and
turning back. Think better of it,
brother. The church is not as prosper
' ous as it should be; not as prosperous
even as seems; not as prosperous as
> rcm f to make it. li. needs you
as a worker: and you need it as no
worker can. Will you not, then, re
lew your vows and resume your labors?
O, that the heart of Christ may melt
your heart, until you become again a
Christian worker, the humbler before
God and the w iser among men for this
blank page, this black page, in your
past.
A writer in the Philadelphia “Ameri
can Catholic Quarterly Review” for Oc
tober recalls facts which may allow of
brief comment. In the year 1857 a
human skull was found in the Meander
cave near Dusseldorf, Prussia. Men of
science took that skull into their hands,
assigned it to the sphere of prehistoric
archreology, and proceeded to deduce
from it according to the approved meth
ods in that department of study con
clusions as to the antiquity of our race
on the earth which bring “biblical chro
nology" into doubt, if not into discredit.
Shaafthausen adjudged it “the most
ancient memorial of the early inhabi
tants of Europe;” Schmitt pronounced it
“the oldest of known human skulls;” and
Fuhbrott, w riting a book on it, fixed its
age at “from two hundred thousand to
three hundred thousand years.” On the
< ther hand, Dr. Mayer, of Bonn, “after
a critical examination of the alleged
‘fossil’ and of the locality in which it
was found came to the conclusion that it
was the skull of a Cossack killed in the
year 1814.” This is the Science which
is nothing if it is not “exact.” This
is the Sciei ce, which has no discrep
ancies of its own and is the mortal foe
of discrepancies wherever they may
cross its paths. Think of it. We go
back only seventy-nine years, and, with
one of its voices, this Science tells us
that we are wrapped and shrouded in
the far away mists of “prehistoric'’
ages. With its boasted special and ex
clusive powers of “verification,” this
Science here interposes between its
highest and lowest estimate ami only
the trivial, insignificant space of two
hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine
hundred and twenty-one years. Others
may choose for themselves, but for our
part it is not at the mandate of this
Science that we shall take sides against
the Bible or even against Theology, In
spiration is better than this; even Or
thodoxy is better.
The recent Augusta “Baptist Con
gress” discussed the question, “Shall
our young people be organized for
Christian work? ” An important theme,
well worthy of all the time and thought
expended on it. But there is another,
not of equal moment certainly, yet de
manding consideration and promising at [
least a measure of good from its right
decision. Shall we organize our old
people for Christian work? In many of
our churches there are members who
are more or less regarded as superannu
ated, as no longer fit for office or for
business by reason of age. The years
have drifted them aside from the direct
current of the activities of the churches:
they are not put to work; they are
neither asked nor expected to do any
thing in a systematic way and week by
week the year through, but only casu
ally and at rare intervals, as a sort of
“makeshift,” or to “fill up a gap’’oc
curring unexpectedly. Some of them
have been ministers, some have been
deacons, some have been Sunday-school
teachers, some have been committee
men; but they have been superannuated
in these lines, and not always by any
means “for cause.” Why should not
these be gathered into a society for mu
tual counsel and comfort; to cultivate
sympathy with each other as standing
at the same stage of life and alike apart
from the throng; to soothe loneliness by
exchange of visits out of love to Christ
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
_ a?. mN. -
and his peopm. lessons of
their varied expert Jp-*dleain now
from this one, nowfri the wis-
dom which might come froWM review of
the way in which the Lord has led them
through “the heat and burden of the
day” now nearing sunset; to find assist
ance. each from all and all from each, in
discovering and proving for or against
the special duties, troubles, sins, and
possibilities of usefulness pertaining to
old age? Are there not places where
the experiment is worty trial? Who will
try it?
PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS-
TREASON TO CHKIST( ?)
Dear Index : —You proffered to
send me two volumes containing
an authoritative account of the
Parliament of Religions which as
sembled in Chicago during the
World’s Exposition last year.
Doubtless you made the same offer
to a score of other brethren in the
State, but 1 trust they responded
more politely to your proposition
than I did, for i wrote you that I
had a very poor opinion of this
Parliament, and also intimated very
plainly that I did not care anything
for the books : Yet you sent them.
Well, I still stand by what I
said in reference to the Parliament,
but I retract every word uttered as
to the books, and stand with hat in
hand prepared to apologize to your
entire satisfaction. lam delighted
with the books, and thank you
very kindly for them.
In addition to a variety of other
things, we are favored in these vol
umes with what representative
men, —natives of o’her lands, —say
in behalf of their respective sys
tems of religion. Should we wish
to know if a piece of cloth is “a
yard wide and all wool,” of course
it is the proper thing* to hear from
the man who has the cloth to sell.
True, the test of the article may
serve to cast a shadow of suspicion
upon his statement, but we all know
how to make some allowance,
since he is anxious to sell. By all
means, let the heathen tell of the
excellencies of their own systems
of religion.
Besides the very favorable pre
sentation of these various and con
flicting creeds, these volumes are
embellished with a great many
interesting pictures, and though I
am sixty-four years of age, I am as
foolish about pictures as I was
when a boy of six. We have here
churches in Christian lands, and
temples in heathen lands, cathe
-3,..;- p. godas, almost befond
number ; also pictures of men and
women, varying from the fairest
Caucassian, thtough all shades vs
color down to-ror up to—the
ebony hued Africans. Also there
is given to us every style of ecclesi
astical dress, from the profusion of
skirts, and robes, and head-gear of
a Shinto priest, all the way down
to the scanty outfit of a Burmese
Neophyte, whose every covering
was taken from the unappropri
ated part of Adam’s first ward
robe ; the priest was almost entirely
concealed from view,—the Neo
phyte served to impress us with
the symetry of the “form divine.”
It appears that those who had
in charge the “Religious Con
gresses,” conceived the idea of
gathering into one assemblage,
men and women from all parts of
the world, —Buddhists, Brahmins,
Parsees, Taoists, Shintoists, Mo
hammedans, Confucians, Jews and
Christians, —representatives of
every system of religion, and this
assemblage was to be known as
“The Parliament of Religions.”
This matter was placed in the
hands of a committee, in whose
composition were represented the
Jews and the various Christian de
nominations of the United States.
The chairman of this committee
was the Rev. John Henry Bar
rows, D. D., Presbyterian. The
Baptists were represented in the
person of Rev. W. L. Lawrence,
of Chicago. It is not my good
fortune to know anything of this
brother, but I am satisfied that he
was the right man in the right
place, provided there was any
right place in the Parliament.
This committee issued a circular,
sending it to leading men, and I
suppose leading women also, in all
parts ot the world, asking an ex
pression of opinion as to the ad
visibility of the proposed Parlia
ment. In order that these parties
might be able to answer the more
intelligently, the design of the
meeting was set forth in this circu
lar. I quote from it: “To bring
together in conference, for the first
time in history, the leading repre
sentatives of the great Historic
Religions of the world.
To show to men in the most im
pressive way, what and how many
important truths the various Re
ligions hold and teach in common.
To inquire what light each Re
ligion has afforded, or may afford
to the other Religions of the
world.”
We are told by Mr. Barrows,
the chairman, “that the committee
began their work with the impres
sion that nothing like a Parliament
of Religions had ever assembled
before. So far as they knew, it
had never been dreamed of.”
But as soon as the responses to
the circular began to come in, it
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 22, 1894.
was ascertained, to their great sur
prise, that this was by no means a
new conception. Strange to say,
just here, near their very doors,
“The Free Religious Association of
Boston” had been working on this
line for more than twenty years ;
and doubtless, had they been half
asdilligent in their labors in this
respect as their fellow townsmen
had been in shipping whiskey to
the heathen in the Congo valley,
this Parliament mig h t have
blessed( ?) the earth with its pres
ence years ago.
More still: a Dr. Martin, presi
dent of the Imperial University of
Pekin, reported that the idea of
such a gathering had often ap
peared both in fiction and in his
tory. Next came a response from
Bohemia, claming that John Com
enius had advocated this very thing
in that country three hundred years
ago, and that it was a very familiar
subject there. Then came the in
formation that a certain enterpris
ing college president had preached
a sermon, in which, in imagination,
he had assembled just such a com
pany in the city of Tokyo, Japan,
and that the whole thing was but
as straw which had been threshed
again and again.
Still the committee stood bravely
up, cheered by the firm belief that
no such Parliament had ever actu
ally been held, but at last a blow
came from an unexpected quarter :
The mail brought a letter from Mr.
Dharmapala, Buddhist priest in
Calcutta, in which it was stated
that such a Parliament had been
held two thousand years ago in
India, —that it was assembled by
order of the great and good king
Asoka, —that the noble lessons
then and there enunciated were
carved on stones, and these stones
were conveyed to all parts of his
vast empire.
This was very severe on the com
mittee, who fondly cherished the
idea that they were about to do
what man had never done before.
There was nothing better for them
to do now, than to [secure the at
tendance of Mr. Dharmapala, that
he msght instruct them in conduct
ing this enterprise with which he
was so entirely familiar.
Now brother Index, you may
look out for the arrival of a bottle
of Warner’s Kidney Cure just
found under the Great Pyramid in
Egypt, where Potiphar concealed
it from Joseph. So soon as this
bottle comes, I propose to believe
all the above strange things, litho
graphic records and all, for you
know “There is no new thing
under the sun.”
It seems that the responses re
ceived to the circular were gener
ally favorable to the assembling of
such a Parliament, yet some of
them were otherwise. Much to
the surprise of the committee, the
Sultan of Turkey flatly opposed
it. Now why the attendance of
this august personage was solici
ted, of course, I do not know ; still
I can see very plainly why lie
should object to coming,—that is,
if he has been 'correctly reported
as to the size of his household.
Had he come, and brought all his
wives with him, they might have
become scattered on the way, and
might have strayed off in these
western wilds; had he left them
behind, he might have been ap
propriated by some of our good
women who have such a mania for
titled husbands. But perhaps it
was not his presence that was de
sired, but only his approval of the
enterprise, so that others in "his do
minions might feel at liberty to ap
prove likewise.
Another objector was found in
the person of the Archbishop of
Canterbury. Being the chief
ecclesiastic of the Church of Eng
land (Episcopal) his opposition
was quite a serious matter; the
committee caused him to be labored
with very earnestly, but to no pur
pose.
Now, I am not specially partial
to bishops, unless they are New
Testament bishops—still less if
possible, do I take a fancy to arch
bishops, but I am decidedly pleased
with this one, and I think I shall
regard them with more favor ever
after this. I quote only a portion
of his letter: “The difficulties
which I myself feel are not ques
tions of distance or convenience,
but rest in the fact that the Chris
tian religion is the only religion.
I do not understand how that re
ligion can be regarded as a mem
ber of a Parliament of Religions
without assuming the equality of
the other intended members, and
the purity of their positions and
claims.”
It is surprising how a Baptist
bishop could have opinions just
like those held by an Episcopal
archbishop, but so it is. This good
man expresses my views better
than I could myself.
But there was another response,
and while not from such an exalted
personage as the above, yet it was
to the point. The writer was the
Rev. E. G. Eitel, of Hong Kong.
I suppose the reverend gentleman
was a missionary at that place. He
seems to have singled out the chair
man of the committees ; he writes :
“Let me warn you not to deny
the sovereignty of your Lord by
any farther continuance of your
agitation in favor of a Parliament
not sanctioned by his Word. If
misled yourself, at least, do not
mislead others, nor jeopardize, 1
pray you, the precious life of your
soul by playing fast and loose with
the truth and coqueting with false
religions. I give you credit for
the best intentions, but let me
warn you that you are unconsci
ously planning treason against
Christ.”
This is very plain language, and
yet I am unable to find fault with
a single word uttered. Especially,
am I unable to object when I read
certain expressions used by those
who were chief promoters of the
enterprise, and who must have un
derstood the import of their own
language. The Rev. Mr. Barrows,
chairman, says, “But religion, like
the white light of heaven, has been
broken into many colored frag
ments by the prisms of men. One
of the objects of the Parliament
of Religions has been to change
this many colored radiance back
into the white light of heavenly
truth.” This evidently means that
Buddhism and Mahommedanism,
and the rest of the heathenisms,
combined with Christianity, will
make a pure religion. And this
from a man upon whom rests the
ordination vows ql a Christian
minister! who objec.s to what the
Rev. Mr. Eitel wrote to him?
Again, as quoted above from
that circular in declaring the ob
jects of the Parliament: “To in
quire what light each religion has
afforded, or may afford to the other
religions of the world.” In con
templating Christianity in connec
tion with any of these heathen sys
tems and in making inquiry as to
what it had received or could re
ceive from any of them, or all of
them would be like asking what
the sun had received, or could
receive of brightness from a tal
low dip.
One more quotation,- and then
we leave the record for the present,
this was by a Protestant from Hol
land : “What will, what must be
the result of the Pafliament? 1
trust it will put a stop to the mu
tual rivalry of the various religions.
Whenever we discover. in each
others religion something that is
lacking, or let s developed in ours,
let us try to aim t,hat such precious
good shall eiyich our own religion
with the spirit" 1 ** J er'easurcs found
elsewhere.” '‘‘ J b'.trr v .
I cart't’afford to4n;fß*i any com
ment on t! at T'a <»f patch
ing the Christian religion in de
fective parts with good cloth taken
from the heathen systems, is too
much for me : the very idea is too
preposterous to dwell on.
There does not appear from be
ginning to end, any intention of
an effort to enlighten the heathen
who might be brought into this
Parliament, but rather to have all
parties present their respective
systems, so as to afford an oppor
tunity for selecting the best parts
of each, with a view to construct
ing a system which would be bet
ter than any of them. If this is
not proposed treason against the
Lord Jesus Christ, then this scribe
is unable to understand what con
stitutes treason.
There is but one escape from the
charge of treason, and that involves
the most deceitful double dealing
with those heathen people who
were allowed into this Parliament
under false pretenses. If the ob
ject was to try to induce them to
accept Christianity in line of their
own systems, they ought to have
been so informed before they left
their homes.
Still again, Christianity is with
in itself essentially hostile to every
other system of religion, and can
not for a moment enter into any
combination or compromise with
any of them. We do not mean
hostile to the individual heathen,
on the contrary it is the friend of
each one of them, and seeks to do
each the greatest good possible;
we do not mean that Christianity
condemns every precept inculcated
by these false systems, for doubt
less some of them teach many good
lessons , but we do mean that it is
hostile to them, and condemns
them in that they are not sytems
which do or can lead to a change of
heart, to reconciliation with God,
and to acceptance with him.
Now brother Index, you had
better throw this into your waste
basket, for if you do not, it will be
followed by another on the As
sembling of this Parliament.
W. L. Kilpatrick.
Hephzibah, Ga., Feb 7, ’94‘
[Let us have “another.” —Ed.]
THE NEGROES IN THE SOUTH.
W. B. m’gARITY.
Ever since the first cargo of ne
groes landed at Jamestown, Va.,
1619, the race problem has been
before the American people. This
question can be solved by Christian
izing the negro. About seven mil
lions are in the South. They have
plenty of preachers and generally
worship in good houses. They
have low ideas of Christian life,
vague ideas of the duties of a
preacher, and a church member.
Their great need is a better minis
try. This, dur Board is seeking to
supply, by sending our best preach
ers among [them to preach and
organize ministers Institutes. Last
year this was done in Alabama,
Georgia, Tennessee and North
Carolina, while work was sustain
ed in Maryland, Texas and Ken
tucky. This work is greatly ap
preciated by our colored brethren
and has already borne fruit. Can
we not see that God will use the
Southern negro to evangelize dark
Africa? Already our Foregn Mis
sion Board is trying to find suita
able negroes to send as missionar
ies to Africa.
“Ethiopia shall soon stretch out
her hands unto God.”
THE COMMON SENSE OF IT.
I have been much gratified at
reading some things which have
recently appeared in the papers on
the subject of “alien immersion.”
I was especially pleased at what
Dr. Gambrell wrote in the last In
dex on that subject, under the
above heading. In reading his ar
ticle I was impressed with some
thoughts very forcibly, and these I
propose to give to your readers by
your permission.
When I read a proposition I try
to look at it in its various bearings.
I ask myself the question what
does this lead to? Is the proposi
tion true? And if so, is not the
logical deduction from it true? I
am not deterred from embracing a
truth because it may lead to some ;
unpalatable results. I am willing to |
take the truth with all the legiti- !
mate consequences which flow i
from it. When I united with the 1
Baptists, I had to give up many j
ideas I had hitherto entertained in j
regard to those with whom I had ■
not only associated with in early I
life, but whom I had regarded as a i
portion of the bride of Christ, ;
Indeed my whole theology had to
be remoulded in reference to many
things I had been taught to regard j
as true and right. I did not hesi- '
tate on that account to espouse the :
truth as 1 found it in the Bible. I i
am on the same line now. Give !
me the truth, and I will accept it,
and hold it, if it should destroy my
most cherished views or sever the
most cherished ties which bind me ;
to friends in this world. I love a
bold, fearless utterance of a truth,
or doctrine. Hence I enjoyed Dr.
Gambrell’s statement of his posi
tion on the subject he so ably pre- !
sented. I wish to call especial at
tention to some things he has said,
and the conclusions I have drawn
from them.
Dr. Gambrell reduces the ques
tion to this: “Shall we admit
to our churches persons baptized in
an irregular and disorderly man
ner?” The answer he gives to this
is in the emphatic negative. He
says this in his argument which
follows. I wish to change the
question a little and put it thus:
Shall we admit to our pulpits per
sons not baptized at all, and or
dained in an irregular or disorderly
manner? Should not the answer |
to this question be as emphatically 1
negative as the other? Is there a ;
single reason that can be given in ■
favor of the one that cannot be j
given in favor of the other? In ’
Dr. Gambrell’s third paragraph he .
says : “Is it even thinkable that a I
God of infinite wisdom would or
dain a rite to be submitted to by all |
believers, and yet make no arrange- i
ment for the observance of the rite ; I
command believers to be baptized,
and yet make it nobody’s business
to baptize them? Is that thinka
ble? Certainly not. And when 1
we look into the divine records we ■
find, as a fact that he did not” j
Now I change the question slight- j
ly again, and ask, is it thinkable 1
that God would command preach- ,
ing to be done, and yet make it no- :
body’s business to preach? Just;
leave it with any and every man i
who may wish to do so, to enter ;
upon that work? I believe one is j
as unthinkable as the other. The j
Dr. says further, “In the very be
ginning of the matter he commis
sioned John to baptize. (So he
did to preach.) And in the com
mission preaching and baptizing
go together. The men sent
to preach were command-
ed to baptize these and no others.
To this all the Scriptures agree.
Here Scripture and common sense i
are at one. Nor is this denied.” j
To all of this 1 heartily agree, ex
cept the last four words. There
are many Baptists who say that
the preaching and baptizing do not
go together. And while they re
ject the immersion of a Pedobap
tist, they will accept the ordina
tion and sprinkling of a man as
qualifications sufficient to make
them gospel preachers, and suita
ble instructors of their people.”
If “in the commission preaching
and baptizing go together,” what
right has any man or church to
separate them ? And yet this is
done almost weekly. If we can
receive the preaching of an “alien”
we can receive the baptism of an
“alien.” I cannot see the differ
ence in principle in drinking the
soup, and eating the meat that
makes the soup. Dr. Gambrell’s
position is that the Scripture de
termines the qualifications of the
administrator of baptism. The
same Scriptures that determines the
qualifications of the baptizer deter
mines the qualifications of the
preacher. So I believe. As the
Scriptures require belief and bap
tism in the one case so they do in the
other. If then, any man can preach,
without baptism and authority of a
church of Christ, he can likewise
baptize; and we sin in rejecting
the baptism of such, and at the
same time accept the preaching. If
God has joined the two together,
as brother Gambrell says he has,
and I believe, the man or church
that separates them is guilty of re
bellion against God’s authority
when he does so. The Scriptures
are our only source of knowledge
in relation to our duty to God and
to the world. I have sought in
vain to find the least authority for
any one to preach who has not
been baptized and set apart for the
ministry by a church of Christ. If
I any one can show such authority
in the Bible I will be greatly obliged
to him if he will point me to the
passage.
I quote one other passage from
Dr. Gambrell’s admirable article,
substituting the word preaching
for baptism : “Again since preach
ing exists solely by and under the
divine law, creating and regulat
ing it, is it common sense to say,
that what is irregular and not ac
cording to Scripture order, should 1
nevertheless be accepted, as if it ;
were regular and Scriptural? The i
answer need not be written. Com- I
mon sense protests such a traves- j
ty-”
The remainder of this article of
Dr. Gambrell’s applies with as
much force against “alien” preach
ing as it doos against “alien” bap ■
tism. I commend it to the readers
of the Index, applying it as I have ;
and if one can reconcile the prac
tice of accepting alien preaching
with the Bible and a good con
science, I must say he has keener
perceptions of right in the premi
ses than I have.
I have several times been on the
eve of writing about matters and
things in Florida, when the Index
would come with all the news I
had on hand, presented to your
readers by the two Mr. Sams, Flot
and Jet. They are too fast for a
slow plodding pastor like myself.
But then it could’nt be expected
that I could keep up with both of
them. It is said that “two is bet
ter than one,” and I presume that
is why they have associated togeth
er to give you the Florida news.
Can you tell me which gathers up
the news and which writes it out?
I hope Flot and Jet will not fall
out and cease to give your readers
the excellent papers furnished*’you
almost weekly. There was a
family of the Sams once but I be
lieve they have all died except
these two. I hope they will long
live to honor the family name.
N. A. Bailey.
Leesburg. Fla., Feb. 9, 1594.
SHALL WE REINFORCE OUR MIS
SION
BY R. T. BRYAN.
“How then shall they call on
him in whom they have not be
lieved? and how shall they believe
in him of whom they have not
heard? and how shall they hear )
without a preacher? and how shall
they preach except they be sent?”
The needs of the heathen are
calling for help. Our missionaries
are pleading for reinforcements.
Men and women are saying, “Here
am I, send me”—are even begging j
to be sent. The Board is anxious I
to answer these appeals, but can
not do so, unless the churches !
furnish the money. The Board, at
the last meeting, approved of ten
men and women as worthy of ap
pointment and instructed our Sec
retary, brother Willingham, to
bring this matter before the
churches, and see if such an in- |
crease in the regular contributions ■
to Foreign Missions can be secured I
as to enable the Board to appoint |
and send out these missionaries by
next fail.
We have a great God. He is
calling us to a great work. We
are a mighty host—a great people.
Shall we send these reinforce
ments? Who will answer? The
; answer must come from the
churches, saying, send them, and
we will support them by increas
ing our regular contributions to
Foreign Missions. Will ( our'churches
answer? That depends upon you
dear reader. Will you say, I will
pay more, I will increase my con
tributions? Will you talk it up
and not down? Will you try to
get every one with whom you
come in contact to pray for this
matter and to give more ? Brother
editors will you help us? Brother
pastors, more depends upon you
than upon all others. Will you
bring itjbefore your churches and
try to get them to pray over it, and
make an increase in their contri
butions? Will you make an effort
to get every member to give some
thing be it ever so little?
VOL. 71—NO. 8.
If all would g : ve even a small
sum our Board could easily pay off
the debt and send out over fifty
men and women. Will you’ help
brother deacon ? Brother Sunday
school superintendent, what a lift
I you and your children could give
us. Will you help?
God has abundantly blessed
some of our people with thousands
. and millions. Will you God’s
wealthy children ask him to allow
[ you to invest some of your money
l in this enterprise? Lastly but not
least, will you dear sisters, lend us
your tender loving, but strong
hands? We expect an affirmitive
answer from you all. We are
trusting God and the Baptists.
God will not fail us. What will
the Baptists do?
This appeal is not for special ob
jects and special contributions, but
for an increase in our regular
yearly contributions to Foreign
Missions so as to enable our Board
to pay off all debts and send out at
least some of the consecrated men
and women who are begging to be
sent, and for whom many urgent
appeals and earnest cries from hea
then lands are daily calling.
“He who gives to a special object
does well, but he who gives to the
general fund does better.” Now,
who will write our Secretary Bro.
R. J. Willingham, at Richmond,
Va., and say send on the reinforce
ments.
I will help with my pen, my
tongue, my money, and my prayers.
“Not by might, not by power but
by my Spirit saith the Lord.”
APPOINTED A COMMITTEE.
BY REV. IL R. BERNARD.
In your issue of the rst int., I
notice, under “Asked and Answer
ered,” that J. B. W. puts a case
thus : “When a Baptist joins the
church of a different denomination,
what should the Baptist church do?
What is the Bible mode of pro
cedure in the case ? Should a com
mittee be as in other
cases?
Brother Dobbs, a theologian, for
whose accurate and scriptural
methods in dealing with the ques
tions constantly presented in the
Index, w’e have the highest regard.
Says, “there would seem to be no
necessity for any committee.” He•
says in substance, let the fact bc
reported, and on motion let the
name be stricken from the roll.
Some time since a case came un
der observation, where two or
more members of a Baptist church
joined the jMethodift church, or
speaking in accordance with
Methodist polity, joined a society
in the Methodist church. The
Baptist church, in this case, did ap
point a committee to “labor with
the erring ones, and they, the mem
rs of said committee, labored,”
and as a result all returned to the
fold.
Now' here is food for reflection,
a place in which to ask questions.
As Baptists we do not wish to put
a premium on the irregularities,
well, we will say heresies, of de
nominat ions and societies around us.
We are Baptists, we have a mis
sion, and it consists, in a large part,
of bringing our beloved Presby
terians, Methodists, Episcopalians
and others to a more perfect know
ledge of the whole truth as it is in
Christ Jesus, than they now seem to
have. When our brethren, “go
w’rong” in any wise, it is good for us
and good for them that w j e bear wit
ness against the error or sin, and
we see no objection to making the
evidence sharp and pointed. Fi
delity to a brother often saves him.
We cannot love the brethren, the
truth and our Lord too well. The
present is a time of great liberali
ty, sincerity is put for the truth,
and the “anyway” throng was
never so popular. The appoint
ment of a committee,no matter how
prudently made, and the work of
said committee, no matter how
delicately performed, in such case
as we have under consideration
would sometimes give offense, but
what of it. It is a good thing to
give offense. When given once in
a good cause it maybe given again,
with good results. Presbyterians,
Methodists and others sometimes
join our ranks, and their former
pastors and brethren say that it is
all right, that we can go to heaven
out of any church, and under the
peculiar circumstances it is all for
the best. Very well let them say
this and be broad and good. We
do not make anything, never did,
by being “broad and good.” When
one of our members leave, which
is very seldom, we will not offer
congratulations. Maybe we ought
not to be silent, we think it not at
all out of order, indeed we are in
clined to think well of the appoint
ment of a prudent committee
whose members will labor faith
fully and wisely with the erring,
that such may be reclaimed.
Athens, Ga.
A correspondent of the Franklin
News says the Baptists of Macedonia
contemplate building a new 'church.
The committee will meet this week
and let the contract to the lowest
bidder.